We’re proud to announce that Wilmington and Northern Massachusetts Branches Manager Jon Powell is Gentle Giant’s Athlete of the Month for December!
Jon has been rowing with the Greater Lawrence Rowing Club for just over a year, but his history with the sport goes back much further. He first began rowing in the 1990s while attending UMass Amherst. As the years went on, parenting took priority over time on the water. In 2021, with his daughters in college, Jon decided he was out of excuses and it was time to join a team and recommit to a regular workout routine.
Today, Jon practices three times a week with the Greater Lawrence Rowing Club and spends many weekends racing, especially throughout the summer and fall. He’s also learning to scull, which involves rowing smaller boats with two oars per person instead of one, and hopes to eventually race the single at the Head of the Charles Regatta.
Jon’s adult rowing program brings together teammates of different ages and fitness levels to complete the same challenging workouts. He enjoys being part of a team where people continually push their boundaries and sees a lot of similarities between that environment and the culture at Gentle Giant.
For any other Giants considering getting into rowing, Jon has some words of encouragement:
“It’s going to be uncomfortable jumping in, but if you’ve been successful at Gentle Giant, you have shown you are coachable which is a must to progress at rowing.”
We’re proud of Jon’s commitment to athleticism and teamwork and happy to recognize him as Gentle Giant’s Athlete of the Month for December.